Hypothetically Speaking
by Khorale
Summary: "No. I have explained the situation four times now. If you do not stop asking I will demonstrate how I slaughtered each townspeople with one swing of my sword." Wisely, Cloud shut up.
**I have made a brief detour into the FFVII fandom! Excuse me while I try to wade through a couple hundred stories and get back on track to working on my other fics, alright?**

 **But for now, an idea sprung up and I couldn't let it go, especially since I typed most of this in one go. For now, please enjoy!**

* * *

"...C-can you repeat that again, sir?" the blond trooper quailed helplessly under a cold, serpentine gaze, "F-for the fourth time?"

Sephiroth sighed, massaging his temples lightly as he fixed the cadet in front of his desk with a deadpan stare. They were in an office, and Cadet Cloud Strife had reported to Sephiroth's office fifteen minutes ago, terrified out of his wits and wondering what he had done this time. He had no idea where the general even got his name from, much less what he was called into a private conversation for. Now, after hearing what Sephiroth was saying, he was even more confused to the whole situation in general.

"I _said_ , Zack was concerned about your emotional well-being. He-" pestered "-asked me to engage you in an exercise to strengthen your self confidence and esteem."

 _That_ part had made sense. Zack knew how Cloud felt inadequate for failing to get into SOLDIER, and this was just another one of his schemes to cheer Cloud on, because Cloud knew there's no other way his childhood idol would even spare a glance his way otherwise if he had not been prompted or with a good reason. Cloud shuddered as he glanced at Masamune, glad that he wasn't catching the attention of the great Sephiroth for the _other_ reason.

"I know that part, sir. But about that exercise-"

Green eyes narrowed, and Cloud shut up. The general simply leafed through a pile of his paperwork, fishing out a file with Cloud's profile printed on the cream white paper.

"This exercise is purely hypothetical. It will test your problem-solving skills and improve your confidence in your ability to make decisions in situations where there is nobody around to give you orders. That ability is highly required in the field, and split-second decisions will either save a life or ruin it. Now, my... associates have often stated that I have a very active imagination, which is why I will be the one directing you through this exercise today."

Very active imagination...? Cloud had a hard time picturing the tall man in front of him talking to plush dolls and dreaming up imaginary friends - and nearly snorted out loud. But no, he wasn't suicidal enough to laugh in front of the general's face, and doing so would earn him seven feet of deadly steel buried in his stomach. But maybe he meant imaginative as in ways to torture people... Suddenly, gory battlefields filled hims mind with Wutai soldiers cut up into neat ribbons, lining up in a crude imitation of art-

Sometimes Cloud hate his own imagination.

"As I was saying, now for the _fourth_ time. Cadget Strife, your hometown is Nibelheim, correct?"

Cloud nodded, hair fluffed up like a spooked Chocobo. He knew this part as well, and that what was coming next was what made him doubt his own hearing and his superior's sanity, because even for hypothetical situations it was going too _far_ -

"That is the place where First Class SOLDIER Zack and I will be heading next for a mission. Now, assume you are also coming along as one of the troopers that will accompanying us-"

"-I can't. I have motion sickness, sir-"

"-assuming it has been miraculously cured for this scenario. Now, a monster - let's say a dragon, attacks us... what would you do?"

"I would... let you and Zack handle it?" Cloud grinned nervously. The first time he answered he had tried to 'help' Sephiroth, to which the general was very unimpressed and told him he should quit feeling suicidal. Cloud had wondered if this was really an exercise to boost his self esteem, because it seemed to be failing miserably.

"Correct." This time Sephiroth finally conceded and Cloud breathed a sigh of relief. "You will watch our backs in case other lower level monsters are preparing to ambush us while we're distracted. However, should that happen, do not engage in battle. Call Zack for help and I will face the dragon alone."

 _Sephiroth_ evidently was not lacking in confidence, Cloud thought. Just what would it take to even challenge the general? Whatever it was, he wasn't eager to find out.

"Once we head into town, what is the first course of action?"

"Hide my face, sir."

"...What?" A puzzled frown crossed Sephiroth's face.

"I don't want to be recognized," Cloud explained hesitantly, "I sort of... promised someone I would get into SOLDIER, and I haven't made it in yet so I... I can't face them just yet."

"In this hypothetical situation, nobody will care. Now, what is the first-"

"-But they will care!" Cloud said miserably, "Isn't the scenario supposed to be as realistic as possible? Shouldn't I know what to do in a situation like this? I told Tif- my friend- and now I would break another promise!"

Sephiroth was silent for a moment. "Alright. I accept your reasoning. However, you have to know that secrets typically do not remain secrets for long, and how the situation is presented will affect many outcomes. It is better to be in control of the situation and change the result to benefit yourself the best."

Cloud took a deep breath, "I will, thank you, sir."

"Now, what is the _second_ course of action once we head into town?"

"Find secure lodging for the night and store away our baggage, then patrol the area for monsters or other threats."

"Excellent. We will not be investigating any further than the town for the first day so we will need a place to stay for the night. And you would be familiar with the layout of the town to patrol more efficiently than Zack and I."

Cloud flushed with pride, "T-thank you."

"While you're on patrol, who would you take with you?"

"Zack," Cloud said immediately. He much preferred his friend's playful attitude to the general's intimidating presence, and he really wanted to show him around the place where he grew up in.

"Why?" Sephiroth pressed, and Cloud felt a influx of panic because his own reasoning wasn't what the other man would want. He didn't want to make it seem like he didn't want Sephiroth's company either.

"Be-because his Buster Sword is wider, which gives more protection in case a monster attacks us both?" That sentence ended up as an unsure question. Cloud fiddled wit his thumbs and looked down.

"Masamune has the greater reach, which would kill a monster before it even gets into striking distance. Now, cadet, choose again with a better reasoning."

 _Is he - is he_ trying _to make me pick him to go on patrol together?_ Cloud gaped at the other man. Pale fingers tapped on the wooden desk, giving away the general's impatience and eyes staring at the cadet intently.

"No offense, sir, but does it matter who I choose? Either of you will just kill the monster anyway." Cloud protested, feeling at loss to what was going on here. The general even looked _disappointed,_ as though he expected Cloud to pick _him_ over Zack.

"Normally, that is true," Sephiroth agreed, "However, Genesis have been sighted in the area along with his clones, which is also why I have been sent to Nibelheim. If he were to suddenly attack, Zack's charismatic personality would be better suited to evacuating the town and I will have a better chance of encountering him on patrol."

"You think Genesis will do something drastic enough for us to evacuate the town?"

"No," said Sephiroth, "But I believe we have mentioned this already the _third_ time I explained myself."

"But, sir, that's too absu-"

"Now, the day has passed and we assigned another infantryman for night patrol. The next morning we investigate the mountains and the mako reactor. What is the first thing that should be done before heading out?"

"...Eat breakfast?" Cloud said slowly, positive this was not the answer Sephiroth was looking for.

"I mean after that."

"Head up the mountain?"

"No," Sephiroth said, "How are we getting up the mountain?"

"I can lead us there."

"Even with a map, Mt. Nibel is a very treacherous place to climb. If you offer to be our tour guide, then it would be the same as announcing your presence here to the entire village, which I'm sure you do not want."

Cloud sagged a little, "Yeah, that's true."

"So what is the alternative answer?"

"We hire a tour guide," Cloud said, "Tif- My friend went up Mt. Nibel with me before. I'm sure if I don't talk..."

"...She won't recognize you," Sephiroth concluded. "Very well, we will hire either your friend or another Nibelheim native to accompany us up the mountain. When we head up, you and the other infantryman will remain outside for lookout in case a monster approaches the reactor, or Genesis and his clones shows up. You will not engage them in battle, but head inside to warn Zack and I."

"Why don't we all go into the reactor then?" Cloud felt confident enough to throw back a question. "We are not fast, so if there's a monster outside we might not have time to make it into the reactor."

"You forget the Nibelheim native we have to bring. The inside of the reactor is classified for civilians, in case of terrorists like AVALANCHE learning the layout and any Shinra secrets the reactor holds. You infantrymen are also not above the clearance level, so the only reason for you to come in is for there to be a life threatening situation."

"Oh... Okay." Cloud nodded. "So... for however long it take you guys to check out the reactor, I'll protect Tifa - I mean our guide - until you come outside or we're forced inside."

"That is correct," said Sephiroth. "Now, pretend something has gone wrong inside the reactor and neither Zack or I have come out for two hours. What will you do?"

"I would tell the other infantryman to guard our guide and head inside myself," Cloud said.

Sephiroth shook his head, "In that situation, what lies in wait in the reactor will be too much for you to handle if it have bested Zack and I. You will remain outside and send a message through the PHS. If I do not reply within five minutes and there are no sound of fighting inside the reactor, contact Shinra immediately and take the guide back to Nibelheim. If we do not return from the mountains by sunset, evacuate the townspeople to a safe area."

"What possible situation would cause this, sir?" The scenario was a getting more specific, and they weren't even at _that_ part yet.

"Either there is something that blocked communications within the reactor, and we simply did not receive your message - which is unlikely because we will not take more than an hour to sweep the interiors of the reactor - or we have somehow become trapped inside the reactor, possibly by the rumored monster that was sighted around Nibelheim. Perhaps Genesis is lying in wait and managed to ambush us. Either way, we are not taking chances and you will evacuate the town."

"About evac-"

"Not yet, cadet Strife," Sephiroth interrupted once again. Cloud's jaws shut with an audible _snap._ "Now assuming we are all unharmed had have made our way back into town. What will you do first?"

"... Go on patrol again?" Assuming this was a normal mission, they should be able to head back to Shinra by the next day-

"Not quite," For the first time since Cloud stepped into the general's office, Sephiroth _smiled_. It was sharp wicked smile that seemed more like he was baring his teeth than an actual grin. Cloud couldn't help but step back, feeling like a trapped Chocobo chick under the paws of a hungry tiger.

"Sit down, cadet. The mission is not over yet," Is it even possible for the grin to get even _wider_? "As I said, this is an esteem building exercise, and a _normal_ mission is not enough to cover what Zack seems to want you to learn."

Oh dear god, that maniac gleam in the silver haired man's eyes could _not_ be healthy. Cloud gulped and sat down on a plush chair, suddenly realizing that for the entire briefing he was standing the whole time. Now his legs gave out under him and he slouched into the comfortable chair. He knew what was coming, he _knew-_ but it was unlikely he was going to get Sephiroth to repeat himself a fifth time.

"Our group is unable to leave Nibelheim next morning," Sephiroth continued with the unholy gleam in his eyes, "Because there seemed to be a person missing."

"A... person?"

"Me."

"...You?"

"Yes," Sephiroth hissed, "In the absence of your commanding officer, what will you do?"

"I will turn for instructions from the next highest in command, which is Zack," Cloud replied, "But, sir, _why_ -"

"Zack will suggest a search. Where is the best place to start looking for clues, cadet?" Green eyes drilled into blue, and Cloud felt completely lost.

"T-the bar! They have staff that manages the bar during the night, so they might have seen you, sir!"

Sephiroth raised any eyebrow, "Is there a reason you believe I would drink myself into a stupor at night, and seemingly wander off who-knows-where the morning after?"

"...No, sir."

"There is one place we have not searched previously, and that is the Shinra Mansion," Sephiroth announced, "Previously, we have ignored the place because it was abandoned and was not very likely to hold anything relevant for the reported monster attacks. But whatever I found in the reactor might have prompted me to dig there for more information."

"So all we have to do is drag you out of the mansion, then return to Shinra, sir?" It couldn't be that easy, not with the expression Sephiroth had on his face that was terrifying to behold. Cloud was again reminded of his vision of gory battlefields and the poor eviscerated Wutai soldiers.

"No, that would be too easy," the general shook his head, "With my authority, I can easily order you to stay outside the room while I continue on with researching. We skip ahead a few days and then you find the town set on fire-"

" _What._ "

"Cadet Strife," Cloud realized it was a while since Sephiroth even glanced down at his own paperwork. He was pinning Cloud with an intense stare that would have heated up the entire room. Whatever emotion he held, Cloud couldn't decipher. "Do not make me repeat myself a fifth time."

"But _sir_ -"

"No. I have explained the situation _four times_ now. If you do not stop asking I will demonstrate how I slaughtered each townspeople with one swing of my sword."

Wisely, Cloud shut up.

"Now this brings you back to what we discussed earlier - evacuation. The flaming houses will cause panic as well as giving you a time limit on deciding who you should save first and how to save the most amount of people with the fastest path through the flames. It requires the skill of split second decision, and your time to respond starts _now_."

Still gaping, Cloud attempted to gather his own thoughts. However absurd the scenario was (General Sephiroth trying to burn down his hometown?!), it was only hypothetical, and Sephiroth seemed to be waiting for his answer.

"You took too long to think, cadet. Now half the town is dead and more wreckage blocks your path. You have a choice to save your friend Tifa or your mother. Choose one."

"T-that's not fair!" Cloud snapped back angrily, forgetting the fact that he was supposed to be cowed by the taller man, "How can I choose?!"

"It's only a hypothetical scenario," Sephiroth returned calmly, "In this situation you need a clear head. I will give you five seconds to calm down, before your house crashes down on your mother and Tifa, who are both on the opposite sides of the town. The smoke is too large for either of them to see, and Zack has gone after me to the reactor."

"Why are you going back to the reac-" Cloud stopped. Now was not the time to follow on that train of thought, with his hypothetical mother and Tifa's lives riding on the precious five seconds he had to think. He had to save both of them, but how?!

"Your time is up, cadet," Sephiroth said smootly, watching Cloud intently, "Now give me your answer."

"I...uh..." Cloud tried to stall for time, but a glare from Sephiroth told him it would not work. "I'll call out to Tifa while running to save my mother. Tifa knows some crazy martial arts move, s-so she got out just fine. I got mom and we - we stayed on the gravel road away from the grass because it might catch fire as well. I go back to look for any other survivors and... um... keep the path I came in from clear so nothing can block our way."

"A nice solution," Sephiroth remarked dryly, "But I doubt your friend's martial arts can protect her against flaming houses. But I will let it slide. Tifa is after me because her father is dead, and she goes up to the reactor while you are still rounding up the survivors. What will you do?"

"I will follow her and protect her," Cloud said firmly.

"Assume you failed, and she is dead-"

"No she isn't, because I saved her." Cloud cut in desperately, "Zack is confronting you, so if you attacked her you won't have time to finish her off. Then I come and take her someplace safe."

Sephiroth sighed, "Not everything is perfectly timed that way, Cloud. So-"

"Wait, did you just call me by my name?"

"It means nothing. Ignore it." the general scowled, "By the time you came back, I have already defeated Zack and I have moved on to my objective-"

"What is your objective? You never explained it to me! Why were you suddenly cutting apart villagers and setting things on fire?" Cloud demanded exasperatedly, "That's what I've been trying to ask the whole time! And why is everything so specific?! What are the chances of this even happening in real life?!"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Sephiroth shrugged, "So my motives are unknown, First Class SOLDIER Zack is incapacitated and unable to aid you. What will you do then?"

"I will get him to safety, then come back and confront you about your motives. I refuse to believe you would have done this without a good reason."

"By that time I would already have left," Sephiroth said, "So you better find some way to defeat me before Zack bleeds out and dies. _Then_ you have the time for questioning me."

"Honestly, sir, there is no chance in hell I am able to defeat you. I would not take the chance of dying and leaving Zack to die as well, so I would save him before coming to you."

Sephiroth sighed deeply, "This is an esteem building exercise, Cl- cadet. So, pretend whatever my objective is, I am too fixated on it to notice you-"

"Gee, thanks for the _boost of confidence_." Whatever reservations Cloud had left about talking back to his superior officer had long fled. They had been in this discussion for what seemed like forever, and he had gotten comfortable in the general's presence, however bizarre this hypothetical world-building seemed to have become.

To be honest, Sephiroth didn't act like the fearless war machine he was rumored to be. The man seemed more human in their conversation, and Cloud doubt that he had many people treat him that way before. So Cloud resolved himself not to put his idol on a pedestal of awe and fear, and treat him like another person, a figure of authority... and as a friend.

"I did not mean it that way. What I mean is with my guard dropped down, you have the perfect opportunity to-"

"You would never let your guard down."

"Hypothetically, Strife, hypothetically."

"It has to be something super interesting to catch your attention like that though," Cloud mused, "Interesting... catchy... hypnotizing... Maybe you've been suckered in by a beautiful lady!"

"With that amount of mako in that reactor, the thing is no longer beautiful and nor would it be a lady," Sephiroth dismissed it, but still sounded amused. Empowered by the acknowledgement that he too can contribute to creating the scenario, Cloud pounced right onto the idea.

"So no beautiful ladies for you to oogle at, but you can't look away... How about you finding your long lost grandma or something?"

"True, Hojo would be a twisted man to pickle his own mother," Sephiroth mused, "But in that case I would be too disgusted to lay my eyes on her, considering the clothing material would have disintegrated after the long period of time she's been in there."

"Hypnotism, remember?" Cloud argued, "That's the explanation for you to suddenly throw a tantrum and destroy the town!"

"...I did say the situation has to be realistic," Sephiroth groused, "...Carry on... But the thing in the reactor is not going to be my grandma, however 'hypnotizing' she may be. I think my eyeballs will burn off sooner than I can lay a hand on the tank."

"So something related to you, because Zack and I didn't go crazy. But not ugly? Boy, sounds like you've got a crush on your mom!" Cloud grinned, feeling more at ease with teasing the general now that he has shown more human emotions.

"...Let's imagine my mother, who's name is Jenova, possessing hypnotism abilities, because I do not want to lust after my own mother," Sephiroth shuddered, "And it only works on me because... I'm related to her? I don't believe that's how genetics work."

"So she's a monster-" Cloud cut himself off as he saw Sephiroth's face darkened. "Sorry, I might have gone too far on that one. So... an angel? No angel would tell their son to do this. I won't call your mom a demon... so I guess she's an alien."

"An alien," Sephiroth said flatly.

"An alien," Cloud confirmed. "Who wants to sail the cosmos and stuff because she lost her spaceship so she wants to use the planet as a vessel. She hypnotizes you to do her bidding with her weird alien powers and made you kill the townspeople."

Silence.

"I may have underestimated your imagination, Cloud," Sephiroth said slowly, "Because you certainly have outclassed me in that area. So now we have finally discovered my lack of awareness for my surroundings, you grab Zack's sword and attack me-"

Cloud shook his head, "I won't attack you, sir. You're obviously not in your right mind, so the situation isn't necessarily your fault."

"Why?" Sephiroth asked, "You are consumed in grief-"

"My mother and Tifa are both alive, thanks to my brilliant scenario," Cloud reminded him. Sephiroth seemed to deflate a little.

"The villagers," he concluded, "Many who have befriended you since childhood-"

"I have no friends, sir," Cloud said honestly, "Everyone I care for are safe."

"Zack bleeds out because the only doctor in Nibelheim is dead," Sephiroth challenged.

"Hojo saves him!" Cloud cut in quickly, not want his hypothetical friend dying and having to kill hypothetical Sephiroth, because now that he's more relaxed, he's actually _enjoying_ bantering in the older male's presence.

"…Why would Hojo show up in a time and place like this?" Sephiroth growled, mood dampening with the mention of the scientist's name.

"Because… um… he wants to check up on your mom after all these years apart" Cloud managed to muster a cheesy smile. It... didn't work.

"After pickling her in mako for years? I doubt it," Sephiroth said, "I doubt Jenova would even have enough brain activity to stay alive, with years lacking food or water, and still hypnotize someone like me. Even explaining it with mako is too far a stretch."

"Alien, remember?" Cloud smirked.

"Is that your response for everything now?" Sephiroth asked tiredly, "Where do you get these ideas from?"

"I watch a lot of movies when I was a kid," Said Cloud, "Besides, I stopped giving a damn when you decided suddenly up and burning down my hometown as a realistic scenario."

"Back to the point," Sephiroth shifted into a looser position, "Zack is as safe as he can be in the hands if a perverse, invasive walking pile of complexes, who is eager to get his grubby unwashed slimy hands on a new specimen. So the incompetent hack of a useless scientist will save Zack, if only to doom him to a fate even worse than death. Now we are alone in the reactor. What will you do now, Cloud?"

"Wow, you _really_ hate Hojo, don't you?" Cloud said in amazement at the sheer amount of insults Sephiroth combined in one breath. "And I would try to hit you on the head with Zack's sword, hopefully knocking the crazy out of you."

"Is there any guarantee that I would stay down?" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, "After all, you are unenhanced and just holding up the Buster Sword would take all your strength. Adrenaline is not good enough for an excuse."

"Well... I use my rage of you hurting Tifa and traumatizing my mom for a burst of energy," Cloud gestured vaguely up, "And I raise the sword up and let gravity do the swinging. And since you're _tough_ , sir, your head won't be split open."

That little cadet knows how to play on his pride, Sephiroth decided grudgingly. "Alright, your ploy somehow succeeded. You have defeated me. Now what will you do?"

"I won't contact Shinra, since with Hojo there he'll know I was with you and Zack and he'll come after me next. You are too heavy for me to drag to the next town and the villagers will not want to see you, so you will stay in the Shinra mansion while I regroup the villagers."

"And who will make sure I do not go crazy again?" The general asked carefully. "Since Jenova is not destroyed - something you should have made sure to do - there may be a relapse."

"There wasn't enough time to kill Jenova, especially since Hojo's nearby." Cloud said, "And I'm sure the Turks will be all over the area by then."

"They won't arrested me," Sephiroth said, "Not good for the public image. They might even kill the villagers for potential leaks if the incident-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, who's arresting who and killing what now?" a new voice suddenly chimed in. A breeze wafted through open doors, sending paperwork fluttering to the ground. Sephiroth bent down to pick them back up, eyeing Zack who strode into his office like an impatient puppy. Cloud imagined a tail wagging furiously behind the black haired SOLDIER as he looked back and forth between the two people sitting in the room.

"The Turks," Sephiroth said as though it was obvious.

"We're making up a hypothetical situation right now, Zack" Cloud said hurriedly to sweep away his friend's concerns. "Nobody's killing anybody."

"Oh, okay…" Zack calmed down. "You two seemed to be getting along just fine! When you didn't come out of the office for two hours straight I was getting worried-"

Sephiroth and Cloud shared a look.

"If we don't come out by sunset-" the cadet began-

"-evacuate the town and abort mission," -Sephiroth finished with a smirk. A warm feeling of camaraderie settled inside Cloud as they both enjoyed their private joke together. Zack tilted his head confusedly and Cloud added a pair of floppy ears to imagined Puppy!Zack along with the tail.

"I have done what you asked me to do, Zack," Sephiroth said, "Cadet Strife's problem solving skills has grown through leaps and bounds during our conversation, and he learned how to twist the situation to his benefit. His esteem needs no further improvement. His reasoning, however, is evidently very skewed in certain areas, but it's nothing that can't be rectified by teaching him the details of the basic protocols of a mission. I will schedule more sessions to improvise his common sense."

"You mean... we're going to do more stuff like this?" Cloud asked, not sure whether to be excited or terrified. Either way his heart was pounding loudly in his chest, and he wondered if the two soldiers could hear it from across the room with their enhanced hearing. He certainly did not notice two hours pass, and time flies when you're having fun... right? Plus, he had grown to like the person Sephiroth is underneath the professional mask, and he did enjoy their bantering and the various emotions he could inflict on the general's face (most of it being annoyance).

"After we get back from Nibelheim," Sephiroth confirmed. "To be honest, Cloud, I would like to see you accompany us so you can test our hypothetical scenario in real life. It should serve as a test, since not everything ever works out the way they should on actual missions. Ninety-nine percent of the time a plan would fall through before we even step foot into the village. In real life there are flaws - memory flaws, human flaws, or events that occur naturally that would disrupt the plan. You will need to learn how to adapt in the field, and this is the best chance you have to compare how our theory applies in real life."

"But... sir, you won't be actually burning down Nibelheim, would you?" Cloud asked hesitantly. Zack choked.

"You'll _what_?!"

"That was purely to add incentive for you to make decisions under pressure," Sephiroth said, "Had you not warped the scenario out of control, I would have made it so that I was framed by Wutai ninjas disguised as Nibelheim natives to turn public opinions against me. The false villagers were the ones I slaughtered in the hypothetical scenario, and the only civilian casualties were the ones caught up in the fire. You would have learned to analyze and search for the truth buried underneath a deceptive front."

"Sorry, sir," Cloud said sheepishly, "But your alien mom thing is pretty funny..."

Zack looked completely lost. "What's going on here? You've only been together for two hours and now you're all buddy buddy together. Hell, Sephiroth's cracking _jokes_ and you're not letting me in on them, and we're supposed to go destroy a town tomorrow?"

"No, Zack, we're not going to destroy Nibelheim," Cloud assured him, "I'm sorry you're feeling left out from us having fun without you. So now we still have a bit more time before work hours are over, you're free to join us while we finish up our discussion. It'll be more fun with more people joining in."

As the wooden doors closed behind him, Zack heaved a sigh and finally sat down - damn these chairs are comfortable! - as Sephiroth began to speak.

"So, Zack. Hypothetically speaking, you awake in a mako tank with no recollection of how you got in there..."

 **Fin**

* * *

 **This would sure change the Nibelheim Incident quite a bit, don't you think? How the trip to Nibelheim turns out afterwards is up to you to decide. Also whether Sephiroth's slip-ups in calling Cloud by his first name along with the weirdly specific questions is for your own interpretation, whether it's purely coincidence (Seph getting too comfortable in Clouds presence to call him by name), or he _knows_ (time travel/future knowledge) _._  
**

Bonus:

"I'm feeling an intense wave of deja vu right now."

"Same here."

"So...?"

"I'll give you clearance to go inside the reactor. You and Zack go in alone and deal with this mess and I'll guard our guide outside. I'm not setting a single foot inside there- Shut _up_ , Mother."


End file.
